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Redirected from: iTools

Definition: iCloud

Apple's cloud storage service. Introduced in 2011 with 5GB of free storage, iCloud lets users disseminate content to all their devices via their Apple account (Apple ID). iCloud also includes a free email account using @icloud.com or previous @me.com or @mac.com addresses.

Apps, settings, messages, contacts, calendars, iBooks, photos, movies and music can be shared on any Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch the user owns (content purchased from Apple does not count in any storage limit). In the event of hardware failure, iCloud can be used to restore content on the new or repaired device.

Find My iPhone; Find My Friends
Find My iPhone helps retrieve a lost device by pinpointing it on a map and sending it a "lost and found" message or locking it remotely. Find My Friends enables users to share their location with other Apple users.

Windows Compatibility
Contacts, calendars and tasks can be synchronized with Outlook on Windows PCs, and Safari bookmarks sync with Safari and Internet Explorer browsers. Photos are stored in a selected folder in the Windows machine.

iWork for iCloud Collaboration
Via a Web interface and the Safari, Chrome or Internet Explorer browsers, iCloud enables collaborative editing of Numbers, Pages and Keynote documents between multiple users and Mac and iOS platforms. See iWork.

History: iTools/.Mac/MobileMe-->iCloud
Some iCloud functionality debuted as iTools in 2002. Free to Mac users, it was soon changed to a paid subscription. Later renamed .Mac (dot Mac), the name was changed again in 2008 to MobileMe. In 2011, MobileMe was superseded by iCloud along with iOS 5, a major update to Apple's mobile operating system, and MobileMe was extended to mid-2012 for existing subscribers. MobileMe's website hosting was discontinued in iCloud. See Photo Stream.